Turning lathe



y 1930. F. M. GILMORQE E AL TURNING LATHE Filed June 2, 1927' '7 Sheets-Sheet v fled/ 162722202? May 13, 1930. F, MJGILMQRE ET AL TURNING LATHE Filed Jung 2, 192"! 7 Sheets-Sheet May 13, 1930. GlLMCRE Er AL 1,758,283

TURNING LATHE Filed June 2, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 03 I II/ i /01 l g. 4 l0 1 l I06 W /1 7 20 205 29 I22 i E I04 20 o7 HO 203 28 I. l IO 1", N T: L4303 I02 2 4/ aozzzoo/n a A l0 -95 gmmtoz May 13, 1930.

v F. M. GILMORE ET AL TURNING LATHE Filed June 2, 1927 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 II III ll 1 2 a D enc/z f ww aka: new

May 13, 1930. F'. M. GILMORE ET AL 1,758,283

TURNING LATHE I Filed June 2, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 a UNITED smi- Patented May 1 3, 1930 FRED M. GILMORE AND STEVE FRENCH, orsnAr'rLE, wasnm'sron TURNING IlATHE.

Application filed June 2, 1927. Serial No. 195,881.

Our invention relates to turning lathes which are designed for automatically shaping blanks into forms of circular cross section such as are customarily produced by turning 5. operations.

of doing such work in an effective and rapid manner. The lathe, as illustrated, secures such results, and it is believed to employ novel methods and apparatus, and the preferred 1 form of construction illustrated'in the drawings will be hereinafter described, and the novel features thereofdefined-by the claims which terminate this case.

Figure 1' is a top or plan. View of the lathe; Figure 2 is a rear side elevationof the central zone ofthe lathe, in which zone most of the operating parts are found; 7 Figure 3 is a transverse sectional elevation takenthrough the tool holder carriage,

being on line 3-3 of Figure 1; V

Figure 4 1s a similar transverse sectional elevation, but to one side of the carriage, or on. the line H of'Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a side elevation showingthe tool-holding carriage and the blank-dogging or holding mechanism at the tail end of the lathe in vlongitudinal section;

dog and its operatingmeans in partial section;

Figure 7 is a plan view showing the cam mechanisms by which the tool carriage me chanisms are controlled; V T

' Figure 8 shows in detail clutch mechanism employed for alternately and oppositelyengaging the tool. carriage with the opposite runs of the continuously-operating feed chain; 7

v V Figure 9 shows in perspective the chainengaging. dog or clutch block Figure 10 shows 7.:a'sect1onal plan taken through the carriage. and tool holder on the line 1Q.10 of Figure 4; I i s V Fig re. 11 "is-a transversesectional elevation taken on a plane indicated by the line 11, 11 of Figure 2, illustrating the blankfeeding means and the means. for adjusting the same'for blanks of difiierent sizes;

. Figure 12 indicatesa modified construction employed in the setting ofthe driving center. Our object isto produce a lathe capable turning dog 13, and the tailstock a-complefor the'chain clamp member shown in Figure 9, in which roller-clamping elements are Figures 13 and 14 show consecutive steps Theparticuliarwork for which this machine has been designed is the turning of wood blankstoform such articles as chair legs, banister bars, [and other analogous productswhich vary from a uniform cylindrical shape. 1

The object sought is-a machine which will do this Work automatically, requiring manual attention only to the extent of supplying/the blanks to a feed chamber or'hopper.

The frame 1, which may be of any suitable construction, has a head stock 10 and tail stock 11, the latter movable lengthwise of the bed frame upon suitable guideways, as 12, toadjust-for different lengths ofwork. These parts maybe of any, suitable type of standard construction The headstock has a work-engaging and mental dog 14. The former is turned through any suitable mechanism, that illustrated employing change-speed or step pulleys 15, 16 mounted respectively upon the head stock and Figure. 6 is a plan view showing the tail 21 carried by a sleeve 2 mounted to be reciprocated but not turned in a guiding chamber 19, carried by the tail stock. I Gaps 20 serve to close the sleeve 2. Aspring 22 contained within. an extension of the "chamber 19 normally holds the sleeve 2 and the taildog in extended. working position. A bolt. 23 serves to regulatethe tension upon the spring At one side of the sleeve complemental grooves in sleeve 2, and. in the wall of its enclosing. chamber, receive a thrust bar 24 '(see', Figure 6), which engages the shoulder at the bottom ofthe groove to thereby actuate the its projection to engage a new piece.

The work turning tools are carried by a carriage 3, mounted to slide upon a guideway 30 at the front side of the lathe bed. vUpon a similar guideway 31 at the opposite side of the bed-1smounted a carriage 4 which carries the dogging means, by which driving engagement is alternately made with opposite runs of the carriage-driving chain 40. This chain passes over suitable sprocket wheels 41 and 41 at theends of the bed, the wheel 41 at the tail end being the, driver and being, in turn,

' drivenfro n any suitable source, that shown being a separate motor 400. The movement of this chain is a all times inthe same direction and at a uni-form rate, which rate may, however, be changed by ad ustment.

Carriage 4, shown in face View 1n Figure 2, and in end elevation in Figures 3 and 4,

carries the chain-gripping dogs or clutch,

and the means for operating them, and also the means for controlling the action ofthe cams by which the cutting tools are controlled. The chain-gripping device is shown in Figure 8 and the gripping block sepa- .rately in Figure 9, with a modified construction of the latter in Figure 12.

The'frame of the carriage has an upper and a lower'ledge or projecting flange 42, which each holds ,in place a thrust and wear block 43, along the inner faces-of which pass the two runs of the feed chain 40. The gripping block which fits between the two runs of the feed chain, consists of a plate or web 45 and upper and lower blocks 46, which by their exterior. faces engage the inner faces of the chain. The ad acent and opposed faces of the blocks 46 are inclined lengthwise relative to theirouter faces, thereby producing a 'wedge effect. These faces of the two blocks are, however, parallel.

In; the preferred form of construction for the, chain clutch, shown in Figure 12, the

two blocks 46 are hollowed or recessed upon their inner gripping faces, and rollers 46 are placed loosely in the recessed runway thus formed. By their use, friction between the block 47 and blocks 46 is minimized andmore dependable working is secured.v

Fitting between the opposed faces of blocks 7 46 is a bar 47, from the outer face of which projects a pin- 48 which is pivoted in the upper end of a lever 5, (Figure 2), the latter being pivoted at to the cover plate 49 of the carriage; The lower end of lever 5 carries a roller 51 wh chengages the upper face of lever 52 pivoted at 52 to the carriage 1 cover plate 49. Lever 52 is held upward by a spring 54 andhas tooth 53 which c0- operates with a roller 51 carried by lever 5 to insure holding lever '5. in'either of two adjusted positions until sufficient 1 force is applied to overcome th1s resistance.

Pivoted upon the samepivot as is the lever 5, is a-throw lever 55which has a slot or opening 59 through which passes the pin 48, thereby permitting free swinging of the lever 55 through a determined central portion of its path without affecting said pin 48 or thelever. 5. A spring 57 holds lever 55 at the endpoints of its movement until positively moved. Lever55 has a roller 55, or another type of contact face, adapted, by'the travelof'the carriage 4, to alternately engage stops or'tappet members 32and 33 which shift the lever 55, and, with (it, lever 5, thereby also shiftingathe clutch block47, thereby freeing V the .grip'of one block 46Ifro1n the chain 40 and causing. theotherblock 46 to grip the chain- In this manner th'e'carriage 4 is reversely actuated by-a chain which continu ously moves in the same direction.- The stop j 33 iscarried by the head stock 10 and isadjusted together therewith. Independent ad-- --justment may also be employed if desired.

Secured to carriage 4 and extending across and beneath the lathe bed is an arm 34, engageable its outer end with the cutter or tool-carrying carriage 3 'todrive it. This may be by engaging lugs or pins '35. -Any suitable rest period for carriage 3 may be secured by separating the lugs 35 a suitable distance. This-has been donefor reasons hereinafter disclosed.- I

The side tools 61 and 62 are fixedly,"but

'adjustably, mounted upon va block 65' which is pivoted at 66 upon a lug or web 3", which 'projects'from-the carriage face. This block 65 is adj ustablein position and fixedly held when adjusted through :the useof set bolts 69 which screw through lugs extending from :the block 65 and engage'lugs 3 carried by carriage 3, supplemented by other adjusting bolts 69" which screw through lugs 691, car- "ried by web 3 and engage theablock 65..

These side tools 61-and 62 are thus fixed, but

adjustable with reference to the carriage;

cylindrical shape. -f The centrally-placed cutting-@0160 is a They serve to reduce the square stock' to a finishing too'handlis set to make a finishing 1 I out after the roughing tools 61*01' 62 have removed most of the stock. "That one of tools 61 and 62, which is'leading, is the only rough- I ing tool which worksat any one time. Tool 62 cuts when the carriage moves to the right hand, as shown in Figure 5, and tool 61 when the carriage moves; to the left hand, while the central or finishing toolcuts when mov ing in'either direction. i

The central tool 60 is mounted in definite position with relation to the tool-holding block 6, which is pivoted at 38 upon the carriage 3. A clampingrbolt 63screws through an arm 64L of block 6 upon the tool which is seated upon aface of the block 6;, Tools 61 and 62 are held upon their seats by set bolts 67, which screw through yoke arms 68,=also pivoted at 66. i

A spring 125 mounted upon a bolt or rod 126 anchored at 127 to the carriage base 3 and bearing against a lug 128 carried by the toolcarrying block 6, urges said block with. the

cutter ortool 60, towards the work. A bar or plate 36 is secured to the lathe bed'and has its outer edge shaped to form a cam, adapted, by engagement with a contact member, as 37 carried by the cutter-carrying-pivoted block 6. to swing the latter so as to causeoutward and inward movement of the cutter 60relative to the work being turned. In this manner simple outer shapes may be given to: the stick being turned. WVe have shown the contact member which engages the edge of the cam bar as being a bolt 37 which is readily adjus able for work of difler'ent diameters.

At the two points indicated by 7, guideways are provided for. receiving the ends of the blanks or sticks which are to be turned. These function to a certain extent as a hopper, or

feed'chute, as they would usually be made of a size to hold at least three or four sticks, and

7 might be made larger. A hopper. may be pro.-

vided for delivering stock thereto.

The size of these stock uides is variable to correspond with. variation in size of stocki The construction illustrated for doing this is as follows: The outer or end wall 70 is fixed, except as adjustment'may be made for'longer or shorter stock. are adjustable towards and fromeach other,

in a symmetrical relation. The end wall 7 0' has inclined slots 73,.and the bars 71 and 7 2 have supporting.andguiding pins entering said slots. Pivoted at 7 4 uponthe outer face of the end wall is a bar 75, each end' of which has a pin whichpasses through suit-able slots 73 in the wall 70 and engage, respectively,

' with the bars 71 and 72. By reason of the inclined slots and the pins therein carried by the bars 71 and 72,rocking of the bar 75, causes asymmetricalmovement of separation orapproach between bars 71 and 72. Bar 75 may be secured in adjusted position, thereby rocation transversely. of the-lathe bed. Simi? lar transfer mechanisms. are employed at-"each The side-members .71 and 7 2 end of the stock, one carried upon the head stock andthe other upon thetail stock. The slide 76 has an upstandingilongitudinal rib 77, and this supports a shoe 8 anda plate 80 mounted for adjustment thereon. Shoe 8 has a Vertical" end. surface 81 and plate 80, a finger having a horizontal upper face 82 extending beyond the end 81.v These two. surfaces, 81 and 82,. engage. respectively with the outer vertical and with the under faces of the stick It is evident that turning of the bolt 83 will uniformly and equally move said parts 8 and 80 to either separate them or bring them together, depending uponzthe direction of turning. This will cause the stock-positioning faces 81 and 82. to move. a. like amount, thereby maintaining the central axis of the stock so placed for allsizes of. stock, that it occupies exactly the same position with reference. tothe feed slide 76 when the latter isatits innermost or stock-delivering position, said axis then coinciding with the axis of the turning centers 13 andl l- Thestock-feeding slide 76 is moved transversely. of the lathe bedthrough the rocking action of a shaft 85 transmitted, through arm 84' and link 86..= Link. 86 is provided. with an adj ustable-length 7 section. 87 which. screws intoit, and a spring 88 to provide. resiliency; The inner, ends of'slides 76 are each provided with a yielding retaining-finger 89 pivoted thereonand normally held in retaining posi tion by a-spring89, so that it will yield to pass under thestick S when the stick is engaged by the centers 13 and 76 is withdrawn. r

The. carriage .4, which is the driving carriage, has guideways extending transversely of the lathe bed'in which are slides. 90 of a cam-carrying'p'late 9l This plate is given periodic and. limited movement transversely of 14, and the slide the 'direction'of travel ofthe carriage l'. It 7 has two cam rollers 91, one at each side edge, and'two sets of two' cams each, representedby 95 and 96. The particular portion of the latter cams, indicated by 95 and 96, are the fin clined surfaces or cams'p'roper, while the sur,

' faces 95? and 96 are flat level. surfaces, and

96 are short sections atan intermediate level. The elevational outline of these cams is plain- 1 shown in Figure 2, and their plan position in Figure. 7.- r r 1 It will be seen that each type of cam, as 95,and 96, is in duplicate,"and" that the inclined or cam surfaces of like'cams face oppositely. I.

Positioned adjacentto both the head stock and tail stock are a'pair of vertically-guided plungers 200 and 202. Their lower ends are provided with cam rollers 201 positioned to be engaged by the cams 95 and 96. Plunger 200 isactuated by cams 96 and plungers 202 by cams 95. An arm 204carriedby transversely positioned shaft; 26 is engaged 7 does this work is the cam 96, which hasthe,

two surfaces 96 and 96 at two separate levels. The turned-stick is released during the travel of theroller 201 up the incline 96;

the new stick is inserted during the movement over the level surface 96', during which period the tail center iswithdrawmand the tail center is brought up to and partly set into the ends of the next stick as the roller drops to the intermediate level 96", and moved to a final set as the roller drops oif of the level The movement of the center caused by the first drop, namely, from surface96 to 96",

is gaged to cause a preliminary setting of the central cone 13 of the center without en-" gaging the-driving bits 13' which a re' usually formed upon and area partrof such centers as illustrated in Fi'gure l3. The's'etting of the driving bits 13", illustrated in Figure 14, is produced by the dropping ofroller201-oif of the level 96" toth e'level 9. I

During the slight delay between thesetwo;

drops, the withdrawal ofthe stock placing mechanismhas started and proceeded far enough to cause the finger 89 to becleared of the stick S The spring 879' is of a strength such that as the slightly curved outerend of the finger 89 engages the cornerof the stick S, it will give the stick asharp whirling movement; This is possible only because the small point at the'axis of the centers have been set and the driving bits are not yetiin engage ment withthe stick.

We have found thatwihout giving the work blank preliminary rotative movement before complete setting up of the centers, the high rotative speed of the driving center will cause it to dig or' bore intotheend 0f the blank,

0 before its gets into full rotative movement.

In machines built by us we have used a rotative speedof 4000 R. P..M. WVhen the blank is givenfa sharp twirling movement before full setting of the centers, we find the driving dog'setting properly and without boring into the blank end;- We have found this feature to be astrong contributing factor .in our successfully using such high rotative speeds. This we believe tobe due in large part to in part to setting the" centers in two stages or steps. This-plan haslargely increased the capacity of the machine.

V The other cams 95 are. employed to feed the blank stock. from the supply chutev or hopperto the lathe centers. The plunger 202" actuated by the, cam 95, has a roller 203 on its upper endfwhichengages a lever arm 205 secured toa shaft 85, which extends lengthwise of and above the lathe bed. This shaft, is normallyturned to press the plunger 202 downwardly ,by a. spring 207 acting upon another crank. arm 206. Shaft .85'has two downwardly-extending arms. 84, previously described, which actuate the stock-feeding mechanism. As the cam95 comes into action the slide 76 is advanced to place a new blank S between the centers. V

The action ofv these cams follows immedigiving the blank an advance rotation and ately after beginning a stroke of the carriage l 4. The transverse position of the cams and 95 a carriage stroke or travel, they occupy paths 96 is such that as they approach 'theend of which do not includ'ethe rollers-carried by the plungers 200 and 202. Just after-passing these rollers, a roller 91 at one side engages the fixed cam incline 93 to shift the slide plate alignment with the plungers 200 and 202. After actuation of these plungers, the roller '91 at the other side of the plate 9 engages the'fixed incline 94 to shift the plate back again.- This mechanism is-duplicated at the other end of thepath of travel of the carriage; The sets of cams 95 and 96 at each end of slide 9 act upon the plungers 200 and 202 located. atthe correspondingend of the travel of the carriage and not upon those at o theother end.

The mechanism previously described will finish-turn stickswhich do not have circular ring or valley shapes, or circular shapes of sharp contour. When such shapes are' desired, the finishing steps of shaping must be done by an' attachment, of which we have shown a simple and practical form in Figures 3, 4 and 5. This is preferably assembled as an entirety upon a base orframe ofits Y i own so that it may be removed entirely when not needed.

Upon the frame'bar' 100, which, as illustrated, is of U-shaped cross section, although this section is not a material feature, is secured a'cam plate or plates 103 and 104, these having acting'surfaces positioned and shaped to conform to the necessitiesofeach particular case. The cam plates 103, 104' are secured loo 9 laterally to-bring the cams 95 and 96 into to a plate '106 which is mounted to slide lengthwise of the lathe bed in guides carried by'the arms 101 and 102 of the bar 100. This plate is actuated by two arms 107 which are fixed thereto and extend into. the path of travel of a lug 108 carried by the main toolcarrying carriage 3. The separation of arms 107 is determined in conformity with the extent of the rest period of carriage 3, due to the separation of the lugs by which the carriage 3 is driven.

Mounted for vertical reciprocation in bar 100 are tool holders which carry special shaping cutters which are forced downupon the work by the cam in passing. These tool holders 110 have their" upper portions bored and a slot 113 in one side Wall. Mounted in this bore is a cylinder 112 which is axially bored to receive the clamping bolt 116, which has its lower end anchored in the plunger or tool carryingcylinder 110, and'is provided with an adjusting nut 114: at its upper end. The sleeve 112 has a lug or pin118 projecting through slot 113 and carrying cam roller 115, which engages the cam 103 to'thereby force the tool-carrying plunger-110 downward.

Secured tothe lower ends of the plungers movement of the centers, giving the blank a twirling movement during said pause and bymeans independent of the action of the centers, and then completing the setting'of the centers.

2. In a turning lathe having work holding centers, a center setting means employing a stepped cam having a central dwell period and means operatedduring said dwell period to give the stock 'a rotative movement.

3'. The method'of placing stock in a 'wood turning lathewhich consists in lightly setting the centersin the ends of thestock without engaging the driving bits, imparting a turningmovement to' the stock by means independent of the centers and'then setting up the centers to set the driving bits in the stock. Signed at SeattlejKing County, Washington, this 27th dayof May,1927.'

1 V FRED M. GILMORE.

.STEVE FRENCH. V

110 are shaping tools 120 which have cutting edges shaped to conformto the shape desired g to form upon the stick. Figure 2 shows the shaped cutting edges by-the curved lines 121.

These may be varied in shape at will.. The

tool-carrying plungers, 110 are raisedv by springs 122 which connect pins carried, re-

spectively, by the frame 100 and bythe rear 1 end of the tool 120, or by some other 'part carried by the plunger 110. To prevent'a failure in the upward movement of the plungers 110, or to prevent downward movement thereof beyond that defined by the cam 103, a cam 104 may be placed to engage the lower face of the roller 115. To insure a constant position of the plungers -relative to their axes, they are provided, together with their guiding sockets, -with a tongue and groove construction, as indicated at 111 in Figures 2, 3 and 4. These special shaping heads are to be used in conjunction with the rough turning means carried by the carriage 3. Special heads for special jobs are contemplated, these being secured so as to be easily removed and bolts 105. V v

To drive this machine, we have showntwo motors as used. The motor 18, through changegear pulleys 16 and 15, and a connecting belt 17, drives the lathe centers, while another motor 400, through a belt 401 and suitable speed reducing mechanism, not shown, drives the chain 40 which moves the substituted, as by I carriage and controls the operationjot the Y What we claim as our invention is: 1. The method of operating high speed 

